Head rests



S. S. SNYDER May 21, 1963 HEAD REST-S Filed Jan. 2, 1962 United States Patent() 3,090,643 EESAE RES'S Selina Sessions Snyder, 242 .lohn St., Oakland, Calif. Fil-led dan. Z, 1962, Ser. No. 163,741 4 Claims. (Cl. 297-393) This invention relates to improvements in head rests, and provides `a new type of head rest which is of the sling type, conforming to the back and rearward sides of the head or neck, automatically conforming to the head or neck of any person using it, the sling being formed of a flexible, foam padded material for the utmost in comfort.

This head rest folds into a compact unit not exceeding 8 x 4 x 1 inch, so that it is readily carried in a ladies handbag or in a mans coat pocket, so as to be available for application to the seat of a bus, train, or aircraft, and in the interim can be used on high-backed chairs in the home.

The cord or strap used for applying the head rest to the back of a chair constitutes the sole means for securing the several parts of the head rest in the assembled form, therefore assembly and disassembly are carried out almost instantly, without the use of any tools, or release or engagement of any interlocking or securing means.

The objects and advantages ofthe invention are as follows:

First, to provide a head rest which automatically conforms to the head r neck of a person.

Second, to provide a head rest which can be applied to the back of a chair, and which is particularly adaptabie to the seats of aircraft, trains, or buses.

Third, to provide a head rest as outlined, which is of the sling type with ilexible, cushioned sling for utmost in comfort.

Fourth, to provide a head rest as outlined which if applied to the back of a seat through the medium of a flexible strand of material and which coincidently provides the sole securing means for retaining the head rest in an assembled condition for use.

Fifth, to provide Va head rest as outlined, which, when disassembled, can be stored in a relatively small space for carrying in a handbag or pocket, and which is relatively very light in Weight.

Sixth, to provide a head rest as outlined which can be formed of wood, metal, or a thermo-plastic, the latter being most economically constructed and lightest in weight.

In describing the invention reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a front elevation of the invention as in actual use, and applied to the back of the seat of a transport vehicle.

FG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation with the sling omitted.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 illustrates a modification of the sling supports which permits the sling to conform to the area about the neck, lower portion of the head and top ofthe shoulder portion of the person.

FIG. 6 shows the disassembled and stacked head rest ready to be placed in a Iwrapper or :bag for carrying in a handbag or pocket.

The invention can be formed of breboard, pressboard, or other compacted sheet products, as also of metal such as aluminum or aluminum-magnesium alloys, either in sheet or cast form, but is preferably formed of a thermo-plastic because of minimum Weight and economy in manufacture.

As it appears in PIG. 3, the illustration covers any of the materials mentioned, as also in FIG. l, While the rerice mainder of the illustrations indicate a molded product, being ribbed for lightness.

The base 10 is rectangular in form and has two spaced hinge passages 11 and 12 formed therethrough, and when formed of cast metal or thermo-plastic, is cored in the underside as indicated at 13, leaving rib reinforcements as `well as reinforcements about the passages as indicated at 14.

The sling supports consist each of a rectangular lframe i5 having a width substantially equal to the width of the base, and having the top edges beveled downwardly and inwardly as indicated at 16, the bevel including an angle of approximately 45 degrees, and a tongue 17 depends from the lower end and has a length substantially equal to the height 1S of the base, land iitting quite closely in the transverse elongated passages 11, these passages having a length equal to about twice the thickness of the tongue, the cooperation between the tongue and the walls of the passages providing a `free hinge effect, and limiting the angular movement of the sling supports to approximately 30 degrees, the total height of the sling supports, from the bottom end 19 of the tongue to the top edge of the bevel .16 not exceeding one half the length of the base, to permit the supports to be laid flat on the base, for storage, as indicated at 20 and 21, with portions of -the base showing at 22..

Each of these supports has a passage formed therethrough about one-third the distance from the shoulders 23 as indicated at 24, and in the event that the supports are formed of cast metal or thermo-plastic, the backs are cored as indicated at 25, leaving ribs 2.6 to maintain the necessary strength and rigidity.

A modification of the sling support is shown in FIG. 5, the only change being in the substitution of a spring member 27 for the rigid beveled top edge, which provides for a higher degree of conformity to the back of the neck, deflection of the spring as indicated at 27 compensating for the curvature `from the neck to the head and shoulders, and this spring may be xed in the head 28, or made to latch into a groove.

The sling is preferably vformed of a strip of ilexible material indicated at 29 provided with cushioning means 3@ on its top surface, and may consist of any foam material such as latex foam, and a pocket 31 is formed at each end to engage over the beveled top or over the spring 27.

Since the sling has a length approximately equal to the length of the ibase, the ends of the sling can be xed, as by cementing, to the tops of the supports, in which case the pockets 31 will not be required, and likewise, the ends of the sling can be cemented about the wire spring, in which cases, the supports are merely folded under the sling for storing.

For use, the tongues of the supports are inserted in the transverse slots in the base, a cord 32 or strap 33 is threaded through the passages 24, the unit is placed in position, and the flexible strand 32 or 33- passes around the back of the seat and secured, as by means of a buckle 34.

As the head or neck rests in the sling, the supports are drawn toward each other -to bring the sling about the sides of the parts supported, assuring the maximum in comfort, While providing a very compact, lightweight package for carrying in `a handbag or pocket, and one which is secured in an assembled position solely by means of a flexible member used for attaching it to the back of a seat.

I claim:

l. In a head rest including a flexible element for securing the head rest to the back of a seat,

a base,

two sling supports each having a top and being spacedly mounted for -fr'ee hinge movement in said base, and including movement limiting means limiting angular movement in either ldirection relative to the perpendicular,

a sling-formed of'exible material and having its respective ends connected to the tops of said supports and spanning the space therebetween.

means for securing `said lbase and sling support in assembled condition and simultaneously securing the assembled head rest to the yback of the seat comprising passages provided through said supports intermediate the heights thereof, with the flexible element threaded through said passages and having a length to encompass the back of the seat.

2. A structure as defined in claim el, in which the movement limiting means comprises,

two spaced passages formed through said base,

said supports each having a depending tongue transversely `titting in said passages and having a thickness equal to approximately two-thirds the breadths of the passages, thereby providing the free hinge movement as dened.

3. In a head rest having a lflexible member for securing the head rest to the back of a seat, and having a base and a pair of sling supports,

angular movement limiting means Vand assembly retention means for the head rest comprising two longitudinally spaced transversely elongated base passages formed downwardly through said `base and having front and rear walls,

said sling supports each having a top and a bottom, and each having a depending tongue freely insertable in said passages, and each having a sling support passage formed therethrough intermediate the height thereof, With the yfront and rear Walls of the base passages being cooperative with the respective opposed upper and lower portions of the vfaces of the tongues and thereby limiting angular movement of the supports to approximately l5 degrees relative to the perpendicular in either direction,

said fiexible member being threaded through said sling support passages and about the back of the seat, thereby securing and -being the sole means for maintaining the head rest in assembled condition in a selected location on the back of a seat.

4. A structure as defined in claim 3, in which said supports including tongues have a combined height, and the sling having a length, substantially equal to the length of the base, whereby the disassembled head rest is adapted for layer packaging for extreme compactness, for convenient carrying in a handbag or pocket.

References Sit/d in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,464,435 Conradt Mar. l5, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 161,623 Germany I une 27, ll905 257,379 Great Britain Sept. 2, 1926 

1. IN A HEAD REST INCLUDING A FLEXIBLE ELEMENT FOR SECURING THE HEAD REST TO THE BACK OF A SEAT, A BASE, TWO SLING SUPPORTS EACH HAVING A TOP AND BEING SPACEDLY MOUNTED FOR FREE HINGE MOVEMENT IN SAID BASE, AND INCLUDING MOVEMENT LIMITING MEANS LIMITING ANGULAR MOVEMENT IN EITHER DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE PERPENDICULAR, A SLING FORMED OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL AND HAVING ITS RESPECTIVE ENDS CONNECED TO THE TIPS OF SAID SUPPORTS AND SPANNING THE SPACE THEREBETWEEN. MEANS FOR SECURING SAID BASE AND SLING SUPPORT IN ASSEMBLED CONDITION AND SIMULTANEOUSLY SECURING THE ASEMBLED HEAD REST TO THE BACK OF THE SEAT COMPRISING PASSAGES PROVIDED THROUGH SAID SUPPORTS INTERMEDIATE THE HEIGHTS THEREOF, WITH THE FLEXIBLE ELEMENT THREADED THROUGH SAID PASSAGES AND HAVING A LENGTH TO ENCOMPASS THE BACK OF THE SEAT. 